Scene to read · Empathy, Professionalism
Posted at three a.m.
You work on a remote software team.
Spencer and Chandni, two teammates who live nearby, are working from your home desk today, and the team's morning video call has just ended. Maya, the team's strongest developer and the one you know best, kept muting her camera to yawn.
The scene
Spencer: Maya pushed code at three a.m. again. And she muted her camera to yawn twice.
Chandni: She's delivering. What she does at three a.m. is her own business.
Spencer: That's what everyone said about me last year, right before I burned out.
Chandni: Messaging her about her sleep is prying. But you know her best.
The two questions
- 1Would you reach out to Maya? If so, what would you say?
- 2Describe a time you were unsure whether to check in on someone. What did you do, and what happened?
What raters look for
- Empathy
- Recognizes what others feel and need, and lets that shape the response without losing judgment.
- Professionalism
- Is reliable, respects boundaries and confidentiality, and holds a consistent standard under pressure.
Answer scenarios like this on the real timers
Answer both questions on the clock, and get each one scored 1–9 the way raters score. Your first set is free, no card.
Practice free
